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This  book  must  not 
be  token  from  the 
Librory  building. 


Fnrm  Nn.    471 


HISTORIGAL  SKETCH  OP  THE  INDIANS  WHO 
INHABITED  THE  EASTERN  PART 
OP  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


By  Frederic  Kidder 


Hist. Mag. 
June, 1857, 


"X 


Library  of 
The  University  of  North  Carolina 


COLLECTION  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINIANA 


ENDOWED  BY 

JOHN  SPRUNT  HILL 

of  the  Class  of  1889 


^^70.01-^  ir^tK 


THE 


HISTORICAL   MAGAZINE. 


Vol.  I.] 


JUNE,   1857. 


[No.  6. 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE  INDIANS 

WHO  INHABITED  THK  EASTERN  PART  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA. 

FROM  1524  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME. 

Extracts  from  a.  Paper  read  before  the  New  England  Ilistorical 
and  Genealogical  Societ) ,  May  5,  1857, 

BY   FREDERIC    KIDDER,   ESQ. 

In  pursuing  investigations  into  the  early  his- 
tory of  ahnost  any  part  of  our  country,  we  meet 
at  once  with  traces  of  a  race  which  till  a  compara- 
tively recent  period  have  been  unknown  and 
whose  history  the  researches  of  the  most  perse- 
vering antinuary  cannot  pursue  beyond  the  period 
of  European  discovery  and  colonization. 

jNIuch  philosophical  enquiry  has  been  expended 
in  endeavors  to  solve  the  question  —  so  naturally 
presented  to  every  enquiring  mind  led  in  any  way 
to  pursue  this  subject,  —  from  whence  did  the 
aboriginal  inhabitants  of  America  come  ?  and  at 
what  period  did  they  make  their  advent  here  ? 

In  attempting  to  answer  this  query,  some  of  our 
most  ingenious  writers  have  gone  over  the  whole 
ground,  and  have  brought  forward  many  interest- 
ing arguments  to  show  in  what  way  this  continent 
might  have  been  peopled,  but  have  entirely  failed 
in  demonstrating  in  any  satisfactory  manner  that 
there  is  more  than  a  possibility  of  their  theory 
being  correct.  In  the  limits  of  a  paper  like  this, 
it  will  not  be  advisable  to  enter  upon  this  field  of 
enquiry,  but  rather  to  pi'oceed  at  once  to  detail 
what  we  have  been  able  to  collect  relative  to  the 
Indians  who  inhabited  the  eastern  part  of  North 
Carolina,  giving  the  particulars  of  their  earliest 
discovery,  the  names  of  the  various  tribes,  their 
locations,  numbers  and  customs,  as  well  as  some 
account  of  the  wars  in  which  they  became  involved, 
causing  their  (jxtinction  or  removal  from  the  State. 
Every  person  who  has  had  much  experience  in 
collecting  facts  from  any  other  source  than  written 
authorities,  must  be  aware  that  but  slight  reliance 
can  be  placed  upon  any  relation  beyond  the  vision 
or  memory  of  the  relator.  And  "without  giving 
credent  e  to  any  of  the  various  tales  with  which 
the  natives  were  so  much  disposed  to  amuse  and 

HIST.    MAG.      21 


often  to  satisfy  the  Europeans  on  their  first  arrival 
on  their  shores,  we  will  commence  at  once  with 
the  authentic  narratives  of  the  earliest  discovery 
and  explorations  of  this  coast. 

The  earhest  interview  which  any  European 
had  with  the  Indians  in  the  territory  now  consti- 
tuting the  State  of  North  Carolina,  took  place 
during  the  voyage  of  Verrazzano,  in  1524.  He 
first  made  the  coast  in  the  latitude  of  34°,  proba- 
bly just  north  of  Cape  Fear,  and  thus  describes 
the  natives  Avhich  he  saw  there  :  — 

"Many  people  who  were  seen  coming  to  the 
sea-side  fled  at  our  approach,  but  occasionally 
stopping,  they  looked  back  upon  us  with  astonish- 
ment, and  some  were  at  length  induced  by  various 
friendly  signs  to  come  to  us.  They  showed  the 
greatest  delight  on  beholding  us,  wondering  at  our 
dress,  countenances  and  complexion.  They  then 
showed  us  by  signs  where  we  could  more  con- 
veniently secure  our  boat,  and  offered  us  some  of 
their  provisions.  That  your  Majesty  may  know 
all  that  we  learned,  while  on  shore,  of  their  man- 
ners and  customs  of  life,  I  will  relate  what  we  saw, 
as  briefly  as  possible. 

"  They  go  entirely  naked,  except  that  about 
the  loins  they  wear  skins  of  small  animals,  like 
martens,  fastened  by  a  girdle  of  plaited  grass,  to 
which  they  tie  all  round  the  body  the  tails  of  other 
animals,  hanging  down  to  the  knees.  All  Ou;er 
parts  of  the  body  and  the  head  are  naked.  Some 
wear  garlands  similar  to  birds'  feathers.  The 
complexion  of  these  people  is  Hack,  —  not  much 
different  from  that  of  the  Ethiopians.  Their  hair 
is  black  and  thick,  and  not  very  long  ;  it  is  worn 
tied  back  upon  the  head  in  the  form  of  a  little  tail. 
In  person  they  are  of  good  proportions,  of  middle 
stature  —  a  little  above  our  own,  —  broad  across 
the  breast,  strong  in  the  arms,  and  well  formed  in 
the  legs  and  other  parts  of  the  body.  The  only 
exception  to  their  good  looks  is  that  they  have 
broad  faces ;  but  not  all,  as  we  saw  many  tliat  had 
sharp  ones  with  large  black  eyes  and  a  fixed  ex- 
pression. They  are  not  very  strong  in  body,  but 
acute  in  mind,  active  and  swift  of  foot,  as  far  as 
we  could  judge  by  observation.  In  these  last  par- 
ticulars they  resemble  the  people  of  the  East, 
especially  those  most  remote. 

We  could  not  learn  a  great  many  particulars  of 


^<\<\f< 


162 


HISTORICAL   MAGAZINE. 


[June, 


their  usatjes,  on  account  of  our  short  stay  among 
them  and  the  distance  of  our  ship  fi-om  the 
shore. "  * 

After  tliis  brief  interview,  a  period  of  more  than 
sixty  years  elapsed  before  this  coast  was  againj'is- 
ited  by  Europeans,  and  the  red  man  pursued  his 
original  occupations,  and  pleasures,  without  any 
intervention  from  the  other  hemisphere.  And  if 
the  happiness  of  his  race  alone  Avas  to  be  con- 
sulted, it  were  well  if  their  knowledge  of  the  white 
man  had  been  limited  to  the  transient  visit  of  the 
enterprising  Italian. 

But  the  spirit  of  adventure  was  now  aroused 
through  AVestern  Eui-ope,  and  in  1584  Captains 
Barlow  and  Amidas,  with  two  ships,  made  their 
appearance  on  this  coast. 

******** 

The  next  year  was  signalized  by  the  arrival  of 
numerous  ships  and  colonists  under  Sir  Richard 
Grenville.  In  this  fleet  came  several  gentlemen 
of  high  repute  in  their  native  country,  —  men  who 
had  been  trained  at  Oxford  and  Cambridge, — 
among  whom  was  Thomas  Ilariot,  a  philosopher, 
mathematician,  and  historian,  who  here  saw  human 
nature  in  its  most  primitive  aspect  and  unsophisti- 
cated form. 

It  is  to  his  pen  we  are  indebted  for  an  interest- 
ing account  of  the  natives  of  this  region ;  and  as 
it  was  written  previous  to  the  great  changes  which 
their  manners  and  customs  soon  underwent  in 
consequence  of  their  commerce  wth  the  whites,  it 
is  of  much  more  value  than  any  subsequent  one. 

There  was  also  in  this  expedition  "  Master  John 
T\Tiite,  an  English  painter,  who  was  sent  into  the 
country  by  the  Queen's  Majesty,  not  only  to  draw 
the  description  of  the  place,  but  hvely  to  describe 
the  shapes  of  the  inhabitants,  their  apparel,  man- 
ners of  living  and  fashions,  as  well  as  of  many  other 
things,  at  the  special  charges  of  the  worthy  knight, 
Sii"*Valter  Raleigh,  who  bestowed  no  small  sum  of 
money  In  the  search  and  discovery  of  that  country." 

It  is  to  the  talents  of  White  that  we  are  in- 
debted for  the  illustrations  of  aboriginal  life  to  be 
found  in  that  rare  work  entitled  "  Harlot's  Vir- 
ginia," published  by  De  Bry,  in  1590;  and  that 
they  were  true  representations,  we  want  no  better 
proof  than  to  know  that  they  were  executed  under 
the  eye  of  such  true  and  honorable  men  as  Lane 
and  Hariot.      ****** 

As  it  is  certain  that  previous  to  the  advent  of 
the  Europeans  the  habits  and  practices  of  Indian 
life  had  known  little  change,  we  can  assume  that 
the  pen  of  Ilariot  and  the  pencil  of  White  would 
as  well  describe  the  aborigines  of  five  centuries  ago, 
as  of  the  period  when  Raleigh's  ships  first  rode  at 
anchor  along  the  sandy  shores  of  Ocracock  and 
Hatteras.        ******* 

*  N.  Y.  Historical  Collections,  vol.  i. 


The  description  of  the  natives  of  this  coast  pre- 
vious to  about  1590  were  mainly  from  persons  who 
had  been  sent  out  in  the  expeditions  made  at  the 
suggestion  and  charge  of  Raleigh.  On  the  aban- 
doning of  his  colonization  project,  the  intercourse 
with  the  natives  ceased  ;  and  there  was  probably 
for  a  period  of  sixty  years  very  little  if  any  inter- 
course between  Europeans  and  Indians,  till  the 
English  commenced  permanent  settlements  along 
the  shores  of  Albemarle  Sound  and  Chowan 
River,  which  must  have  been  subsequent  to  1650. 

In  the  absence  of  any  other  chronicler  for  a 
long  period  than  Lawson,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
draw  largely  from  his  work,  entitled  "  The  His- 
tory of  Carolina,"  which  was  published  at  Lon- 
don, in  1718.  It  details  a  long  journey  which  he 
made  into  this  part  of  the  country  as  early  as 
1700,  and  was  probably  mostly  written  not  fal- 
from  1710.  He  seemed  to  have  been  well  versed 
in  all  matters  relating  to  the  Indians,  and  his 
statements  may  be  relied  on.  In  the  following 
pages  we  shall  confine  our  description  to  the  coun- 
try lying  east  of  the  Falls  in  the  Roanoke  and 
Tar  Rivers,  and  northward  of  Core  Sound. 

Over  this  large  area  was  spread  various  tribes 
who  seem  to  have  been  known  by  distinct  names, 
and  who  often  spoke  quite  different  languages, 
while  their  general  habits  and  modes  of  living 
were  similar. 

The  following  may  be  considered  as  the  near- 
est approximation  to  their  names,  locations,  and 
numbers,  about  the  year  1700:  The  Tuskarora 
Indians  had  fifteen  towns,  viz :  Haruta,  Waqui, 
Contah-nah,  Anna  Ooka,  Conauh-Kare,  Harooka, 
Una  Kauhan,  Kentanuska,  Chunaneets,  Kenta, 
Eno,  Naur-hegh-ne,  Oonossoora,  Tosneoc  (Tos- 
not),  Nonauharitse,  Kursoorooka.  These  towns 
contained  then  by  estimation  1,200  fighting  men 
and  a  total  population  of  not  far  from  4,000  per- 
sons. The  Waccon  (Wocracon  or  Ocracock) 
tribe  had  two  towns,  viz :  Yupwaureman  and 
Tootatmeer,  containing  120  warriors.  Macha- 
puQga  tribe  were  probably  located  on  the  river  of 
that  name.  Although  their  town  was  called  ]\Iara- 
miskeet  (Matimuskeet),  it  had  only  30  fighting 
men.  Bear  River  (Bay  River?)  tribe,  50  fighting 
men.  Maherring  Indians  were  located  on  the 
Maherring  river,  and  had  50  warriors.  Chuwon 
(Chowan)  Indians  were  settled  on  Rennet's  Creek, 
and  had  15  men  only.  The  Paspatank  Indians, 
on  that  river,  had  but  10  men.  They  had  pre- 
viously been  considerably  engaged  in  farming, 
kept  cattle  and  made  butter.  Poteskeit  tribe  were 
situated  on  the  North  River,  and  had  30  fighting 
men.  The  Nottaway  tribe  were  on  Winoack 
Creek,  and  had  30  fighting  men.  The  Hatteras 
tribe  were  located  on  the  banks  near  the  Cape, 
and  had  16  fighting  men.  The  Connamox  tribe 
were  located  about  Cape  Lookout,  in  two  towns, 


^  -f   #    t 


s 


1857.] 


HISTORICAL   MAGAZINE. 


163 


Coralline  and  Raruta,  and  had  25  fighting  men. 
The  Neus  were  probably  on  that  river;  their 
towns  were  Cliatooka  and  Rouconk ;  fighting  men, 
15.  Pamptico  Indians,  15  fighting  men.  The 
Jaupini  Indians  had  onl)^  6  persons. 

The  Toteros,  Saponas,  Keiauwees,  Acanechos, 
and  Schoccories,  had  then  lately  emigrated  from 
the  west,  and  the  five  tribes  were  supposed  to 
contain  in  all  about  750  persons.  These  were 
principally  located  on  the  Sapona  (Deep)  River 
and  its  tributaries.  Lawson  states  that  all  these 
tribes  had  very  much  diminished  since  their  inter- 
coui-se  with  the  whites,  and  that  rum  and  the 
small  pox  had  reduced  them  within  fifty  years  to 
less  than  one  sixth  of  their  original  numbers. 

Thus  these  various  tribes  and  divisions  con- 
tained over  1,500  fighting  men,  and,  including 
women  and  children,  over  6,000  persons. 

In  their  general  characteristics  the  Indians  of 
this  part  of  the  country  were  more  advanced  in 
those  arts  that  go  to  make  up  the  comforts  of  life, 
than  were  the  natives  of  most  parts  of  America. 

In  person  they  were  an  exceedingly  well  shaped 
people,  —  rather  taller  than  Europeans,  —  their 
faces  broader  and  cheek-bones  not  so  prominent 
as  in  the  more  northern  tribes.  This  peculiarity 
it  will  be  seen  is  a  strongly  marked  feature  in  all 
the  portraits  now  extant,  and  is  still  a  marked 
feature  in  the  remaining  southern  tribes. 

The  color  of  all  the  American  Indians  was  quite 
uniform,  and  the  difference  of  chmate  seemed  to 
have  no  effect  on  the  surface  of  the  skin. 

But  the  tribes  which  we  are  now  describing  had 
a  singular  custom  of  daubing  themselves  with  a 
preparation  of  beai-'s  grease  mixed  with  the  soot 
from  burning  pitch  pine,  similar  to  lampblack. 
Commencing  this  in  earliest  infancy,  it  was  always 
continued,  and  gave  them  a  very  hlack  and  un- 
couth appearance.  In  hunting,  these  people  ex- 
celled all  others,  depending  entirely  on  the  bow 
and  spear  till  some  time  after  the  permanent  set- 
tlement of  the  country  ;  and  when  they  came  to 
possess  fire-arms,  they  soon  handled  them  quite  as 
dexterously  as  the  whites,  and  Avere  for  a  long 
time  employed  by  the  planters  for  this  purpose,  as 
no  part  of  the  continent  more  abounded  in  game 
than  this  region.  But  the  superiority  of  these 
Indians  over  the  northern  tribes  seemed  to  be 
mainly  In  their  greater  attention  to  agriculture. 
To  satisfy  us  on  that  point,  it  is  only  necessary  to 
examine  the  picture  of  the  town  of  Secota,  in 
Harlot's  work  before  alluded  to ;  and  all  the 
chroniclers  who  have  written  of  them  previously 
to  the  Indian  war  in  1712,  fully  describe  the 
abundance  of  their  vegetables  and  the  great  ex- 
tent of  their  fields.  In  this  respect  they  seemetl 
to  be  far  in  advance  of  almost  any  other  tribes  of  • 
■which  we  have  minute  information.  I 

Unlike  their  northern  neighbors,  they  did  not  i 


consider  labor  as  degrading,  and  compel  their 
women  to  cultivate  the  earth  ;  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, they  seemed  to  delight  in  the  labors  of  the 
field,  and  used  every  exertion  to  impress  their 
young  men  early  with  the  necessity  of  cultivating 
the  soil.  '  Of  course  their  efforts  were  not  to  be 
compared  with  those  demanded  in  our  own  time. 
Their  circumstances  and  necessities  did  not  re- 
quire It ;  for,  with  a  mild  climate,  the  virgin  soil 
yielded  abundant  harvests  without  the  manures  or 
deep  ploughing  that  are  now  required.  But  that 
their  main  subsistence  was  derived  from  the  pro- 
ductions of  their  fields,  there  can  be  no  reasonable 
doubt.  The  variety  of  their  productions  must  have 
been  much  greater  than  has  generally  been  sup- 
posed. 

The  most  Important  of  these  was  the  maize 
or  Indian  corn.  To  what  particular  part  of  the 
continent  this  plant  was  Indigenous,  has  never  yet 
been  fully  ascertained ;  but  certain  it  is,  that  no- 
where does  It  seem  to  be  more  prolific,  or  show  a 
more  splendid  appearance,  than  on  the  alluvial 
lands  In  the  eastern  part  of  Korth  Carolina.  There 
many  fields  have  continued  to  produce  large  crops 
for  two  centuries  without  showing  any  apparent 
diminution  of  fertility.  Cultivated  as  this  plant  Is 
over  the  entire  extent  of  our  national  domain,  it 
may  be  considered  as  the  best  symbol  of  our  coun- 
try, more  expressively  representing  plenty  than 
any  other  production  of  our  soil.  The  ease  with 
which  it  was  planted,  gathered  and  preserved, 
without  risk  of  injury  from  insects  or  the  elements, 
as  well  as  the  rapidity  with  which  it  could  be  pre- 
pared for  use,  made  it  Invaluable  to  the  aborig- 
ines. 

They  also  cultivated  extensively  a  great  variety 
of  beans ;  some  of  which,  particularly  calamneies, 
are  in  use  among  the  white  people  at  the  pres- 
ent day.  Watermelons,  squashes,  pumpkins,  and 
gourds,  were  quite  abundantly  raised,  as  also 
ground-nuts,  and  undoubtedly  potatoes. 

With  regard  to  tliis  last  vegetable,  considera- 
ble doubt  "has  been  expressed  whether  It  had 
been  known  to  the  aborigines  of  this  part  of  our 
country  previous  to  the  arrival  of  the  Europeans ; 
but  if  we  consider  it  a  well  authenticated  fact  that 
the  earliest  colonists  carried  it  to  England,  and 
that  Raleigh  took  great  pains  to  cultivate  It  on  his 
estate  in  Ireland,  and  disseminate  it  through  that 
island,  it  would  seem  but  a  fair  Inference  that  it 
was  once  a  native  of -Roanoke  Island  or  Its  Imme- 
diate vicinity.  But  as  botanists  have  in  vain 
looked  for  the  plant  in  Its  wild  state  in  that  neigh- 
borhood, it  has  been  decided  that  it  could  never 
have  been  Indigenous  to  that  locality.  May  it 
not,  like  tl;e  maize,  have  been  a  native  of  some 
more  southern  clime,  and  cultivated  and  perpetu- 
ated by  the  Indians,  as  no  other  vegetable  would 
seem  to  answer  as  well  the  description  which 


164 


HISTORICAL   MAGAZINE. 


[June, 


Ilariot  gives  of  one  of  their  principal  produc- 
tions. 

Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  production  of 
tlieir  fields  was  tobacco.  This  plant  was  indis- 
pensable to  their  comfort  and  happiness,  and  Avas 
highly  valued.  The  only  use  made  of  it  was  in 
smoking,  and  this  was  the  manner  in  which  it  was 
consumed  in  Europe  for  a  long  period  after  its 
introduction  there  ;  and  it  is  certainly  to  be  re- 
gretted that  its  use  was  ever  extended  to  chewing. 

It  was  not  only  as  cultivators  of  the  soil  that 
these  Indians  exhibited  their  industry  ;  but,  con- 
sidering their  implements  and  facilities,  they  were 
no  mean  artisans.  By  referring  to  the  work  be- 
fore mentioned,  it  will  be  seen  how  reacHly  they 
felled  the  largest  trees  of  the  forest  by  fire,  and 
fitted  them  to  a  proper  length  in  the  same  way. 
And  how  completely  they  made  that  element  do 
the  duty  of  the  axe  and  adze,  in  excavating  and 
shaping  their  canoes,  as  Avell  as  their  bowls  and 
other  utensils  !  Lawson  informs  us  that  in  his 
time  he  had  known  Indians  who,  with  an  ordinary 
knife,  would  stock  a  gun  in  a  skilful  manner, 
although  they  had  never  seen  it  done  betbre  ;  and 
he  asserts  that  many  of  them  readily  learned  and 
worked  at  handicraft  trades,  as  well  as  ICuropeans. 

In  their  dispositions  and  habits  of  social  life 
they  certainly  exhibited  a  milder  deportment  than 
has  been  generally  attributed  to  them.  They 
could  not  at  that  time  be  called  a  warlike  people  ; 
and  while  most  of  the  aboriginals  of  the  country 
were  so  constantly  engaged  in  contests  with  neigh- 
boring tribes,  the  general  character  of  these  people 
was  that  of  men  of  peace. 

They  never  quarrelled  among  themselves  nor 
treated  any  of  their  household  with  severity. 
Much  of  their  time  was  spent  in  amusements ; 
among  these  was  gaming.  This  Avas  principally 
done  by  means  of  split  reeds,  about  seven  inches 
in  length  and  fifty-one  in  number.  The  art  is  to 
discover  first  what  number  each  one  has  after  they 
have  been  distributed.  To  perform  this  with  facil- 
ity, required  considerable  numerical  calculation, 
which  often  astonished  the  white  people  who  were 
spectators.  They  had  several  other  games,  one 
of  which  somewhat  resembled  the  throAving  of 
dice,  for  Avhich  they  substituted  the  stones  of  the 
persimmon,  one  side  of  Avhich  Avas  marked,  and  Avas 
decided  by  the  number  of  times  these  came  upper- 
most in  a  given  number  of  throws.  Their  ball- 
playing  Avas  extremely  exciting,  and  gave  them 
an  opportunity  to  display  their  great  agility  and 
speed. 

LaAvson  says  :  "  They  are  patient  under  all 
their  afflictions,  and  have  many  amiable  qualities. 
They  are  really  better  to  us  than  we  have  ever 
been  to  them,  as  they  ahvays  freely  give  us  of 
their  victuals  at  their  quarters,  Avhile  we  let  them 
walk  by  our  doors  hungry,  and  do  not  often  re- 


lieve them.  We  look  upon  them  Avith  disdain  and 
scorn,  and  think  them  little  better  than  beasts  in 
human  shape ;  while,  Avith  all  our  religion  and 
education,  we  possess  more  moral  deformities  and 
vices  than  these  people  do." 

He  pi'oceeds  to  give  his  ideas  of  what  measures 
are  most  proper  and  available  to  civilize  and 
make  them  good  and  useful  citizens.  His  advice 
Avas  certainly  by  far  the  most  proper  and  practi- 
cal method  of  Christianizing  them  that  had  then 
been  proposed.  He  seems  to  have  urged  the 
carrying  out  of  the  laAv  of  kindness  and  human 
brotherhood  in  the  true  spirit  of  philanthropy. 

Living  as  he  did  among  this  people  for  several 
years,  and  Avell  knoAving  their  habits,  capacities, 
and  inclinations,  it  must  be  supposed  that  his  in- 
formation, and  advice,  was  given  with  truthful 
and  serious  intentions  of  benefiting  their  condi- 
tion, and  rendering  a  service  to  the  white  people 
Avho  had  settled  around  them.  It  also  shoAvs  that 
the  natives  Avere  kind-hearted  and  industrious, 
anxious  for  instruction,  Avith  a  capacity  fully  equal 
to  the  Avliite  settlers  in  learning  and  practising  the 
arts  of  civilized  life,  as  then  In  use  among  the  rude 
pioneers  of  that  region.  But  the  Avise  suggestions 
of  the  kind-hearted  LaAvson  had  no  influence. 
******** 

In  December,  1710,  the  Meherin  Indians  fell 
on  one  of  the  most  distant  settlements  on  ChoAvan 
River,  and  killed  two  or  three  persons.  This  Avas 
a  direct  retaliation  for  an  attack  the  Avhites  had 
made  on  them  a  short  time  previous.  The  people 
throughout  the  province  Avere  much  alarmed,  and 
many  gathered  into  small  forts  for  mutual  protec- 
tion, while  they  sent  an  application  to  the  Colo- 
nial Legislature  for  relief;  but  the  government 
were  too  much  engaged  in  their  OAvn  petty 
schemes  of  aggrandizement,  to  listen  to  any  appli- 
cation of  their  constituents.  The  Indians  Averefor 
a  time  appeased,  and  confidence  restored;  but 
finding  themselves  continually  encroached  on  by 
the  Avhites,  who  took  possession  of  their  best  lands 
as  fast  as  they  Avished  to  extend  their  settlements, 
they  again  made  preparations  to  assert  their  natu- 
i-al  rights  and  find  redress  for  long  continued 
insults  and  Avrongs. 

The  Tuscaroras  Avere  now  by  far  the  most 
numerous  and  energetic  tribe,  and  it  Avas  on  their 
territory  that  the  AvhItes  had  recently  trespassed ; 
consequently  they  took  the  initiative  in  calling  on 
all  the  tribes  to  send  delegates  to  a  council  of  Mar. 
In  this  meeting  it  Avas  arranged  to  make  one 
united  effort  to  redress  their  Avi-ongs  and  remove 
the  Avhite  intruders  from  the  country  at  a  single 
blow.  In  order  to  effect  this,  an  arrangement  was 
made  for  each  tribe  to  act  only  in  the  district  to 
which  it  might  be  assigned. 

Thus  to  the  Tuscaroras  was  apportioned  all  the 
settlements  on  the  Roanoke  River,  as  well  as  the 


1857.] 


HISTORICAL   MAGAZINE. 


165 


region  between  t]iat  and  the  Chowan  River,  Avliile 
the  Pamptieos  were  to  assault  all  the  whites  to  be 
found  on  the  north  side  of  the  latter.  The 
Cothechneys  living  on  the  stream  that  then  bore 
their  name,  but  now  known  as  the  Contentney, 
"were  to  join  the  Corees,  Avho  inhabited  the  shores 
and  island  near  Beaufort.  They  were  to  fall  on 
the  S\viss  and  Huguenots  who  had  very  recently 
erected  their  cabins  along  the  banks  of  the  Trent 
and  Neus;  while  the  small  tribes  of  Mattamus- 
keets  and  Muchapungos  were  allotted  to  take  pos- 
session of  the  town  of  Bath  and  the  immediate 
vicinity. 

As  showing  the  universal  feeling  of  hostility 
that  pervaded  all  the  Indian  tribes  at  this  time,  it 
is  only  necessary  to  mention,  that  although  the 
secret  must  have  been  known  to  some  hundred 
individuals,  a  large  part  of  whom  were  in  daily 
intercourse  with  the  whites,  it  was  not  divulged  or 
•^the  plot  for  a  moment  suspected  by  the  settlers. 

On  the  day  preceding  the  new  moon,  the  Tus- 
caroras,  twelve  hundred  strong,  left  their  chief 
town,  which,  according  to  their  ancient  usage, 
they  had  enclosed  with  a  palisade,  and  soon 
breaking  into  small  divisions,  sought  the  vicinity 
of  the  white  settlements,  Avhile  some  few  entered 
the  houses  with  the  usual  enquiries  for  food 
or  traffic.  Assuming  to  ffeel  disappointed  and 
aggi'ieved,  altercations  between  them  and  their 
entertainers  soon  took  place.  On  a  sudden  a  loud 
whoop  was  given,  and  all  the  Indians  who  had 
been  secreted  in  the  vicinity  rushed  upon  the  un- 
suspecting whites,  and  a  scene  of  indiscriminate 
slaughter  immediately  commenced.  The  aged 
grandsire,  the  stalwart  husband,  the  affectionate 
wife,  with  their  children  of  every  age  and  sex,  fell 
victims  to  the  tomahawk  and  scalping-knife.  '--In 
many  settlements  the  massacre  was  complete ;  not 
a  single  white  escaped ;  whole  families  and  names 
became  extinct. 

On  the  Neus  and  Pamptico  Rivers  the  Tusca- 
roras,  now  transformed  into  Infuriated  tigers, 
caused  the  blood  of  the  whites  to  flow  like  water. 
'More  than  a  hundred  and  thirty  persons  were 
known  to  have  been  murdered  within  a  few 
hours,  the  largest  part  of  whom  never  received 
the  rites  of  burial,  as  the  survivors  dared  not  leave 
their  refuge  for  any  purpose. 

The  Corees  in  the  meantime  had  executed  bar- 
barous work  upon  the  poor  Swiss  palatines  who 
had  but  a  short  time  previous  found  here  a  shelter 
from  persecutions  In  the  Old  World,  but  only  to 
find  a  sanguinary  grave  amid  the  pine  forests  on 
the  banks  of  the  Trent. 

After  this  bloody  butchery  had  been  mainly 
consummated,  the  Indians,  Instead  of  retiring  to 
their  strongholds,  seemed  rather  to  have  become 
more  infuriated  by  the  sight  of  their  victims, 
whose  bodies  they  continued  to  dishonor  and  man- 


gle like  demons  from  the  infernal  regions,  and  fin- 
ished the  awful  scene  by  setting  fire  to  every 
building  and  vessel  within  their  range.   , 

This  state  of  affairs  continued  for  several  days, 
and  In  the  meanwhile  the  surviving  whites  had 
collected  into  some  places  of  temporary  safety, 
where,  by  standing  on  a  continual  guard,  they 
could  defend  themselves  and  their  families  against 
the  foe. 

This  massacre  took  place  on  the  22d  of  Septem- 
ber, 1711,  —  a  day  and  year  long  remembered 
throughout  this  region. 

A  short  time  previous,  Mr.  Lawson,  who  was 
then  Surveyor  General  of  the  province,  had.  In 
company  with  Baron  Graaffenreidt,  who  had 
superintended  the  emigration  of  the  palatines, 
ascended  the  ISTeus  with  a  design  to  explore  the 
country  bordering  on  that  river  for  the  purpose 
of  laying  out  a  tract  of  land  for  a  place  of  resi- 
dence for  these  emigrants.  Having  reached  a 
point  some  twenty  miles  above  Newbern,  they 
landed  and  were  preparing  to  pass  the  night, 
when  they  were  suddenly  joined  by  a  large  num- 
ber of  Indians,  who  were  evidently  in  bad  humor, 
and  who,  taking  from  them  their  provisions  and 
arms,  compelled  them  to  take  a  long  march  into 
the  foi'est  till  they  reached  an  Indian  town.  Here 
Lawson  and  his  companion  underwent  a  long  ex- 
amination before  a  council  of  more  than  two  hun- 
dred warriors,  as  to  the  general  claims  of  the 
whites  and  the  Immediate  reason  for  their  being 
found  there.  Lawson's  reply  was  that  they  wished 
to  find  a  nearer  route  to  the  Virginia  settlements, 
for  which  purpose  they  had  designed  merely  to 
explore  the  country. 

After  a  lengthened  consultation,  in  which  the 
Indians  complained  much  of  the  conduct  of  the 
whites,  and  were  particularly  severe  on  Lawson, 
who  they  supposed  to  be  the  main  cause  of  their 
being  dispossessed  of  their  lands,  they  finally  con- 
cluded to  dismiss  their  prisoners  and  let  them  re- 
turn. But  at  the  earnest  suggestion  of  an  influen- 
tial chief,  they  were  detained  till  the  next  day, 
when  a  party  fell  on  them  and  gave  them  a  brutal 
beating ;  and  another  council  being  held,  they 
were  condemned  to  die.  The  next  day  this  de- 
cision was  carried  into  effect,  Lawson  and  a 
negro  servant  who  had  accompanied  Inm  being 
roasted  alive ;  while  the  Baron,  against  whom 
they  had  no  particular  animosity,  was  retained  a 
prisoner  for  a  few  weeks  and  then  set  at  liberty. 
Thus  perished  by  an  awful  death  a  man  who,  so 
Yar  as  we  can  judge  by  his  writings,  was  really 
the  truest  friend  those  tribes  had  ever  found 
among  all  their  white  acquaintances,  and  who 
found  only  a  horrid  death  from  the  race  whose 
customs  and  virtues  he  had  faithfully  chronicled, 
and  thus  perpetuated  their  names  and  annals  to 
all  coming  tlnie. 


166 


HISTORICAL   MAGAZINE. 


[June, 


As  soon  as  the  whites  couhl  rally  from  the  awful 
panic  which  the  general  slaughter  had  created 
they  soon  collected  into  small  forts,  eleven  in 
number,  and  made  some  efforts  to  retaliate  on  the 
enemy. 

;.  A  party  of  about  fifty  men  made  an  excursion 
to  see  what  was  the  condition  of  the  outer  settle 
ments,  and  soon  met  a  large  body  of  Indians,  with 
which  they  kept  up  a  desultory  fight  for  three 
days.  The  Indians  lost  fifteen,  and  the  whites 
but  two ;  but  were  forced  to  return  to  their  quar- 
tei's,  Avhieh  they  found  surrounded  by  a  body  of 
the  enemy,  who  were  soon  repulsed. 

At  the  same  time,  a  small  tribe  wlio  were  sup- 
posed to  be  friendly,  had  been  allowed  to  remain 
within  the  fort ;  but  during  the  attack  on  the  out- 
side, they  rose  upon  the  garrison.  They  were 
soon  subdued,  but  not  till  nine  of  their  number 
were  slain,  and  about  forty  women  and  cliildren 
secured  and  soon  sent  off  by  a  vessel  to  be  sold  as 
slaves. 

As  soon  as  possible  a  messenger  had  been 
despatched  to  Charleston,  who  laid  before  the 
Legislature  of  South  Carolina  a  petition  which  set 
forth  the  distressed  situation  of  the  colony,  and 
further  stated  that  owing  to  the  continued  broils 
among  the  people,  they  could  make  but  little 
effort  against  the  enemy,  and  must  implore  aid 
from  their  sister  colony.  This  was  promptly 
granted,  and  a  large  sum,  efjual  to  eighty  thou- 
sand dollars,  was  voted  to  carry  war  into  the 
camps  of  the  hostile  Indians. 

Six  hundred  militia  and  three  hundred  friendly 
Indians,  under  the  command  of  Col.  Barnwell, 
were  soon  on  their  march  to  the  scene  of  devasta- 
tion before  described. 

An  express  had  also  been  sent  to  Governor 
Spotswood  of  Virginia,  with  the  news  of  the  mas- 
sacre. But  as  he  had  previously  been  informed 
that  the  Tuscaroras  who  inhabited  their  more 
northern  towns  were  not  implicated  in  the  bloody 
transaction,  he  sent  word  to  them  to  meet  him  in 
council  at  an  appointed  time  on  the  Nottaway 
River.  Some  of  the  chiefs  attended,  and,  after 
considerable  preliminary  discussion,  he  proposed 
that  all.  of  them  who  had  not  joined  in  the  massa- 
cre should  make  common  cause  with  the  Virgin- 
ians against  the  hostile  party. 

But  intestine  feuds  and  jealousies  were  not  at 
this  period  limited  to  North  Carolina  alone,  but 
were  rife  in  Virginia,  and  the  Legislature  refused 
to  pass  the  necessary  bills  to  place  a  suitable  force 
in  the  field  to  operate  in  conjunction  with  the 
friendly  Indians,  for  the  relief  of  their  neighbor- 
ing colonists.  But  the  Governor  wisely  took 
measures  to  prevent  the  Indians  within  his  tei'ri- 
tory  joining  the  malcontents. 

As  soon  as  Col.  Barnwell  with  his  troops  and 
Indian  allies  arrived,  he  was  joined  by  as  many 


soldiers  as  Governor  Hyde  could  induce  to  take 
up  arms. 

Meanwhile  the  Tuscaroras  had  not  been  idle, 
but  gathering  their  forces  into  one  body  and 
erecting  such  defences  as  their  means  would 
arhnit,  they  waited  the  movement  of  the  troops. 
On  the  banks  of  the  Neus,  about  twenty  miles 
above  Newbern,  was  the  spot  where  the  Indians 
were  disposed  to  make  a  stand.  Here  they  had 
enclosed  a  large  space  by  a  strong  palisade,  inside 
of  which  was  secured  an  enclosure  of  logs.  With- 
in this  barrier  they  had  placed  their  women  and 
children,  while  the  warriors  went  forth  to  meet 
Barnwell  and  his  allied  forces.  A  battle  took 
place,  in  which  the  South  Carolinians  fought  with 
much  bravery,  and  were  boldly  supported  by 
their  Indian  associates.  The  Tuscaroras  were 
defeated,  having  more  than  a  hundred  of  their 
warriors  slain  and  a  large  number  wounded.  The 
survivors  retreated  to  their  stronghold.  Barnwell 
captured  over  a  hundred,  which  were  afterwards 
sold  as  slaves. 

In  a  few  days  Barnwell  and  his  forces  appeared 
before  the  Tuscaroras'  stronghold,  and  with  a 
Swiss,  who  had  seen  service  in  Europe,  acting  as 
engineer,  they  commenced  a  regular  investment 
of  the  jjlace.  The  siege  continued  some  days,' 
as  the  whites  were  forced  to  make  regular  ap- 
proaches towards  the  fortification.  At  last  the 
Indians,  finding  that  there  was  no  escape,  and 
that  preparations  had  been  made  to  set  their 
■n;orks  on  fire,  offered  to  capitulate.  Barnwell 
granted  them  terms,  and  supposing  the  war  was 
ended,  returned  home.  -  ■ 

The  next  year.  Governor  Hyde  ha-^-ing  received 
orders  from  England,  made  some  efforts  to  reduce 
the  belligerent  Indians  to  terms,  and  give  peace 
and  quiet  to  the  people.  But  the  colony  had  been 
so  reduced  by  the  war  that  nothing  could  bo 
effected,  and  application  was  again  made  to  South 
Carolina  and  Virginia  for  assistance.  The  former 
of  these  promptly  raised  a  small  army,  which  they 
placed  under  the  command  of  Col.  James  Moore, 
who  immediately  marched  his  forces  to  the  Indian 
district  and  awaited  for  orders. 

In  the  meantime,  the  reins  of  government  had 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  President  Pollock,  who 
in  fused  new  energy  into  the  desponding  colonists, 
which  soon  had  a  beneficial  influence  on  the 
tribes. 

On  the  25th  of  November,  preliminary  articles 
of  peace  were  signed  by  the  President  and  coun- 
cil on  the  one  part,  and  Tom  Blunt  Savoonah  and 
foi-.r  other  chiefs  for  the  Tuscaroras. 

By  this  instrument  the  Tuscaroras  piomised  to 
make  war  on  the  Cothechnys,  Corees,  Bear  River, 
and  Pamptico  Indians,  and  to  give  no  quarter  to 
any  male  of  these  tribes  above  the  age  of  fourteen 
years,  but  to  capture  and  sell  to  the  English  all 


1857.] 


HISTORICAL   MAGAZINE. 


167 


under  that  age ;  and  as  soon  as  these  tribes  -svere 
destroyed,  then  to  join  the  Avhites  against  the 
Miichapungos.  They  also  bound  themselves  to 
surrender  to  the  English  all  the  property  they  had 
captured  during  the  war  and  relinquish  a  large 
part  of  their  lands  lying  below  the  Cotechny,  and 
also  to  pay  a  yearly  tribute,  and  give  hostages  for 
the  fulfilment  of  all  the  articles. 

In  a  few  weeks  the  armistice  that  had  been 
agreed  on  was  broken,  and  the  Tusearoras  again 
assumed  a  hostile  attitude,  but  fearing  the  South 
Carohna  forces,  retired  to  Fort  Nahucke,  which 
they  had  strongly  foi-tified.  Col.  Moore  had 
brought  with  him  about  one  thousand  friendly 
Indians,  with  whom,  and  a  small  militia  force,  he 
surrounded  the  fort.     A  terrible  battle  took  place. 

The  Tusearoras  within  the  fort  were  finally 
captured  or  destroyed  to  a  man.  It  is  related 
that  Col.  Moore  secured  over  eight  hundred  pris- 
oners, all  of  whom  were  afterwards  disposed  of  as 
slaves,  many  of  them  being  shipped  to  the  north- 
ern colonies  for  a  market.* 

A  treaty  was  again  made  with  Tom  Blunt,  as 
head  chief;  but  it  did  not  prove  effectual,  as  the 
Indians  had  now  become  so  desperate  that  their 
chiefs  had  but  little  control  over  them.  A  desul- 
tory and  harassing  war  lasted  for  some  time,  which 
was  finally  brought  to  a  close  by  the  energy  of 
Col.  Moore  and  his  Indians,  who  followed  the 
hostile  savages  into  their  retreats  amid  the  swamps 
and  morasses  with  which  this  part  of  the  country 
abounds. 

These  continued  reverses  at  last  broke  the 
spirits  of  the  remaining  Tusearoras.  They  had 
repeatedly  sent  runners  to  their  old  friends,  the 
Five  Nations,  for  aid  ;  but  none  came,  —  probably 
from  the  infiuence  then  exerted  over  the  Iroquois 
by  the  colony  of  New  York,  with  Avhom  they  had 
made  treaties  pledging  themselves  never  to  lift  the 
hatchet  against  the  whites. 

Finding  all  hope  futile  as  regarded  rest  for 
themselves  in  any  part  of  their  ancient  domain, 
and  reduced  to  a  tithe  of  their  fonner  numbers, 
their  very  existence  as  a  tribe  becoming  doubtful, 
they  availed  themselves  of  a  previous  invitation 
from  the  Five  Nations,  and  decided  to  remove  to 
their  territory  and  blend  their  fortunes  with  that 
confederacy. 

It  is  impossible  to  fix  the  date  of  this  exodus. 
Some  authors  place  it  as  early  as  1712,  which  is 
probably  an  error.  Schoolcraft  states  it  as  occur- 
ring in  1714,  in  which  year  some  parties  certainly 
went ;  but  is  it  not  more  likely  that  it  occupied 
some  two  or  three  years  ?  It  is  certain  that  the 
main  part  of  the  tribe  had  joined  the  Iroquois  in 
1717,  by  whom  they  were  cordially  adopted  as  the 

*  In  the  "Boston  News-Letter"  of  that  year  are 
many  advertisements  of  Southern  Indians,  for  whom 
purchasers  were  wanted. 


Sixth  Nation  ;  and  although  no  particular  terri- 
tory was  then  assigned  to  them,  they  became  the 
guests  of  the  Oneidas,  and  were  located  a  few 
miles  west  of  the  present  site  of  Utiea.  Of  their 
precise  numbers  then,  it  is  impossible  to  fix  a  reli- 
able estimate.  Between  1708  and  1715,  they  had 
lost  1,000  warriors,  who  represented  a  population 
of  at  least  5,000  souls.  In  1736,  the  French 
estimated  they  had  250  warriors  or  1,250  souls. 
In  17G3,  Sir  William  Johnson  said  they  had  1-10 
warriors,  who  would  represent  a  population  of 
about  700  persons.  This  Avas  undoubtedly  very 
near  the  truth,  as  he  was  on  very  confidential 
terms  with  their  chiefs. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  Revolutionary 
war,  Johnson  made  great  exertions  to  retain  the 
Iroquois  in  the  service  of  the  king.  "With  most 
of  the  tribes  he  was  successful ;  but  through  the 
exertions  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kirkland,  a  missionary, 
the  Oneidas  took  up  arms  on  the  side  of  the  col- 
onies, and  were  joined  by  the  largest  part  of  the 
Tusearoras,  who  were  then  their  neighbors.  They 
did  not  suffer  much  by  the  war,  and  soon  after  its 
close,  finding  the  white  settlements  constantly  en- 
croaching upon  them,  they  wisely  assented  to  re- 
ceive a  grant  of  land  from  their  ancient  friends, 
the  Senecas,  within  the  present  limits  of  Niagara 
County,  to  which  they  soon  removed.  Their  title 
was  confirmed  to  them  by  the  State  of  New  York. 

A  part  of  the  land  which  had  been  allotted  to 
them  by  North  Carolina  was  leased  to  individuals, 
and  had  been  constantly  in  their  possession  by 
permission  of  the  Legislature.  It  was  now  dis- 
posed of,  and  the  proceeds  invested  in  lands  which 
they  purchased  of  the  Holland  Company,  in  their 
immediate  vicinity. 

On  this  territory  they  soon  commenced  making 
improvements,  and  have  continued  to  progress 
until  at  the  present  time  they  appear  to  po'ssess 
most  of  the  comforts  and  conveniences  of  the 
neighboring  white  people  who  rank  as  the  hum- 
bler class. 

Retaining  one  of  the  peculiarities  of  their  Caro- 
lina ancestors,  the  men  cultivate  the  soil  with 
energy  and  success,  while  the  women  are  noted 
as  thrifty  housewives,  and  pride  themselves  on 
their  dairies.  In  religion  and  education  they  have 
made  commendable  progress,  having  had  a  mission 
established  among  them  as  early  as  1807.  Some 
forty  years  ago,  a  Presbyterian  church  was  organ- 
ized, which  now  contains  about  fifty  members. 

About  twenty  years  since  a  Baptist  church  was 
formed,  over  which  James  Cusick,  a  chief  and 
brother  of  their  historian,  officiates. 

Their  schools  are  said  to  be  nearly  as  well 
attended  and  kept  as  those  among  their  white 
neighbors  ;  and  two-thirds  of  their  whole  number 
are  members  of  a  temperance  society. 

In  1845,  they  numbered  about  50  families,  in 


168 


HISTORICAL   MAGAZINE. 


[June, 


all,  283  souls.  They  cultivated  over  2,000  acres 
of  land ;  and  raised  that  year  nearly  5,000  bushels 
of  wheat,  3,500  bushels  of  corn,  over  4,000  bush- 
els of  oats,  and  made  7,537  pounds  of  butter. 
They  also  produced  many  other  articles.  They 
keep  a  considerable  stock  of  cattle,  hogs,  and  some 
horses,  and  have  in  their  possession  over  5,000 
acres  of  good  land. 

A  few  years  since,  the  writer  visited  their  vil- 
lage, situated  about  eight  miles  from  Niagara 
Falls,  and  was  surjiriscd  to  find  there  a  commu- 
nity so  prosperous  and  flourishing.  They  still  re- 
tain traditions  of  their  former  importance  and 
numbers;  and  some  of  their  oldest  men  like  to 
speak  of  the  tales  recited  by  their  grandfathers, 
who  told  of  their  warlike  exploits,  as  Avell  as  their 
success  in  hunting,  when  they  wandered  between 
the  Neus  and  Moratic  Rivers. 

They  still  continue  to  speak  their  original  lan- 
guage, much  coi-rupted  however  by  their  inter- 
course with  the  other  tribes  of  the  confederacy. 
Like  all  Indian  dialects,  it  is  continually  vary- 
ing with  their  own  condition.  But  it  retains  its 
distinctive  peculiarities,  and  philologists  are  still 
puzzled  in  deciding  to  which  of  the  grand  divi- 
sions it  originally  belonged.  Lawson  gives  a 
short  vocabulary  of  it,  which  makes  it  certain  that 
it  could  not  be  classed  with  the  Algonquin,  which 
was  the  almost  universal  tongue  spoken  through- 
out the  Northern  and  Middle  States,  extending 
west  to  the  Upper  Mississippi,  and  excluding  the 
Iroquois,  whose  language  is  totally  distinct  from 
any  other  known.  Is  it  not  probable  that  the 
original  language  of  the  Tuscaroras  was  radically 
the  same  as  the  Senecas  V  and  may  they  not 
have  once  formed  one  community  ? 

To  a  person  of  an  enquiring  mind,  who  takes 
any  Interest  in  the  aboriginal  i:ace,  the  short  ride 
from  the  great  Cataract  whlch._  brings  hun  to  the 
residence  of  the  remnant  of  this  once  great  peo- 

f)le,  is  full  of  instruction.  AVe  can  see  here  the 
ineal  descendants  of  the  men  whd  ^yelcomed 
Raleigh's  colonists  to  the  New  World,  —  who  held 
familiar  intercourse  with  Grenville,  Lane,  Hariot, 
and  White,  and  whose  portraits  illustrate  the  vol- 
ume befor(>  mentioned ;  for  Secota  and  Pemelock 
were  at  that  time  the  chief:'?tOwns  of  the  Tusca- 
roras, and  were  only  deserted  by  them  for  a  more 
interior  location,  on  the  advent  of  the  first  perma- 
nent white  inhabitants. 

Their  history  is  an  instructive  one.  It  shows 
what  changes  they,  as  well  as  the  whole  land, 
have  undergone  since  the  Avhite  man  first  cast  his 
anchor  on  the  sands  of  their  native  country. 
With  their  present  habits  of  temperance  and  in- 
dustry, they  may  retain  their  distinctive  character 
and  name  for  centuries  yet  to  come,  the  only 
living  representatives  of  the  numerous  tribes  who 
once  inhabited  eastern  North  Carolina. 


BIOGRAPHY  OF  "  \^  tevoiltto: 

A  SKETCH  OF  THE  L.     . 

ROGERS    CLARK,    THE 

TUCKY,  ANO  THE 

OLUTION  iN 

BY   HON.   JOHN   REYIv 

The  valley  of  the  !MississI       is,  more  x 

for  the  preservation  of  its  early  settlemen 
great  abilities  and  extraordinary  services 
eral  Clark,  than  to  any  other  individual.  A 
many  great  and   honored   heroes,  such  ; 
ernor    Shelby,   Generals    Sevier,    Robinson,  ai 
others,  whose  names  are   handed   down    to   po' 
terity  with  a  blaze  of  glory,  '•  acted  well  thv 
parts,"  yet,  the  extraordinary  talents  and  sorvic 
of  General  Clark  in  the  Revolution  stand  unr 
ailed  in  the  great  Western  Valley,  and  deservec 
entitle  him  to  the  highest  honors  and  fame, 
was  In  the  West,  wliat  General  Washingtc 
In  the  East,  the  unrivalled  champion  of  the 
lution  ;  and  he  may  be  hailed  with  great  prop 
The  WasJiinglon  of  the  West. 

He  was  born  on  the  19th  of  November. 
In  Albemarle  County,  V'-gliiia,  of  highly  res- 
ble  and  wealthy  parents.  —  He  received  •  .ly  . 
common  education,  and  directed  his  youthful  en- 
ergies to  the  forest  and  the  chase.  He,  like  Wash- 
ington, was  engaged  in  his  eai-ly  days  as  a  sur- 
veyor of  land.  In  the  year  17  72  he  was  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Kanawha,  on  the  Ohio  River,  In  the 
pursuit  of  his  profession.  But  the  martial  music 
in  1774  inflamed  his  youthful  mind,  and  he 
joined  the  campaign  of  Gov^.  Dunmore  to  chastise 
the  Indians  in  the  valley  of  the  Scioto,  in  the 
present  State  of  Ohio.  He  commanded  a  com- 
pany from  the  Old  Dominion,  during  a  part  of  the 
campaign  ;  and  was  appointed  on  the  march  a 
staff  officer  to  Governor  Dunmore. 

In  the  year  1775,  he  made  Kentucky  his  resi- 
dence, and  remained  there  during  life.  At  that 
early  day,  Kentucky  existed  without  a  govern- 
ment. Young  Clai-k,  whose  mind  was  by  nature 
and  reflection  exceedingly  strong  and  comprehen- 
sive, decided  at  once  that  the  country  must  have 
an  organized  government ;  and  an  assembly  of  the 
people  to  act  on  the  subject  was  convened  at 
Harrodsburgh  in  the  year  1775. 

Clark  and  Gabriel  Jones  were  appointed  by 
the  meeting  to  present  their  condition  to  the  Gov- 
ernment of  Virginia,  and  the  result  was,  the  coun- 
ty of  Kentucky  was  established  in  the  year  1776, 
and  a  complete  Government  organized  in  it, 
under  the  protection  of  the  parent  State,  Vir- 
ginia. This  was  the  main  pillar  of  defence  for 
the  West  against  the  hordes  of  hostile  savages 
that  surrounded  the  country  on  all  sides. 

But  after  many  years  of  the  greatest  exertions 


